Time & Location
Dates: November 5, 2025
Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM MST
Location: 201 W Marcy St, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
Scholarship Deadline: October 27, 2025
Registration Deadline: November 1, 2025
Instructor: Bill Costanzo
Cost: $25, includes learning materials
Overview:
Join Bill Costanzo, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension LGD Program Specialist III, for an in-depth workshop focused on bonding and training livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) for optimal success in protecting sheep, goats, and other livestock. Based on research and proven practices from the Texas A&M AgriLife LGD Program, this workshop is designed for ranchers, landowners, and anyone interested in using LGDs as a non-lethal predator control method.
Participants will learn:
The critical bonding period: How to properly introduce LGD puppies to livestock during their first 16 weeks of life to build strong, effective working relationships.
Behavioral development stages: Understanding how LGDs mature and what behaviors to expect from puppies, adolescents, and adults.
Proper handling and socialization: Techniques for managing dogs without over-socializing them to humans, which can interfere with their working instincts.
Training tools and strategies for adolescent LGDs: How to use positive and negative reinforcement, redirection, and correction appropriately to discourage undesirable behaviors like roaming or livestock play.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them: Practical solutions for challenges such as chasing, digging, or bonding failure.
Monitoring and evaluation: Learn how to assess progress and make adjustments based on the individual dog and livestock setup.
This workshop combines classroom instruction with field-based learning, giving participants a clear understanding of how to raise and manage effective LGDs from puppyhood to full working maturity. Participants will leave with practical tools and resources to support the long-term success of their LGDs.
Don’t miss this opportunity to improve predator protection while promoting the health, safety, and performance of your livestock guardian dogs. Whether you’re just starting with LGDs or looking to improve your current program, this training provides science-based, field-tested guidance to help you protect your livestock and maximize your dogs’ potential.
Fee & Financial Assistance
$25 per person
Your Presenter(s):
Bill Costanzo grew up in Escalon, a small farming town in California’s Central Valley, where his family ran a commercial Angus cattle ranch. He holds a B.S. in Agriculture Education from California State University–Fresno and spent over 19 years as an ag teacher and FFA advisor before joining Texas A&M AgriLife Center–San Angelo as an LGD Extension Specialist. Bill used livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) with his own flock of wool sheep in Northern California for over eight years, experience that now informs his work on a joint project with the Texas Sheep & Goat Predator Management Board. At the AgriLife Center, he manages over 20 LGDs across multiple research sites, leads field days and workshops, develops educational materials, and supports research involving GPS tracking, game cameras, and long-term LGD bonding studies. He works closely with cooperating producers across Texas to evaluate LGD performance in real-world conditions.
Thank you to our collaborators and funders.
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